Tinian opens new NMC campus

Local leaders and residents and Northern Marianas College Regents, administrators, and staff celebrated the official opening of the Tinian’s brand new postsecondary educational facility, the NMC Tinian campus, highlighted by a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.

With $440,000 in funding from the Municipality of Tinian, the two new, state-of-the-art buildings were designed and built by the Telesource Corporation for maximum security, energy conservation and safety.

The 6,000 square-foot of space provides administrative offices and seven classrooms, including computer and science laboratories, a library and distance education classroom.

The new computer laboratory has a total of eleven new computers, all with Internet access. This has increased the college’s Internet stations from three at the former location to a total of 19 at the new campus, with stations for the new Student Studies Center, the Upward Bound and Talent Search programs and the NMC/Tinian Public Library.

The completion of the new NMC Tinian campus is a direct result of the commitment by the island’s leaders to provide improved educational and training opportunities for the local community.

Present at Wednesday’s ceremony were Mayor Francisco Borja, Senators Joaquin Adriano, David Cing, and Jose Dela Cruz, Rep. Norman Palacios, NMC Board of Regents Interim Chair Fermin Atalig, Regent Kimberlyn King, NMC President Jack Sablan, and NMC Tinian Campus Administrator James Wedding.

Former NMC Tinian Administrator and current Tinian Gaming Control Commission Chairman Bill Cing presented an interesting history of the development of the new campus which is located on a beautiful piece of property in northern San Jose village, near the Santa Lourdes shrine.

Mr. Cing also urged local leaders and NMC administrators to continue their commitment in providing much-needed vocational training in order to adequately supply the island’s business sector with skilled local workers.

The new Tinian campus was a major factor in the dramatic increase in student enrollment during the Spring 2001 semester. NMC Tinian also boasts an impressive cadre of thirteen local residents who are serving as adjunct instructors. These involved community leaders have contributed to the expanded number and variety of courses being offered.

Plans are currently underway for the construction of two additional buildings on the 9-1/2 hectare site, which will house a larger, permanent NMC/Tinian Public Library and the NMC-CNMI Cooperative Research, Education and Extension Service (CREES).